Cabinet



Sept. 22, 1936. MCKEAN ET AL 2,055,038

I I CABINET Filed May 1, 1955 I ,fllmfl'ean flsbamze Tasizqq I PatentedSept. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES I CABINET Donald J. McKean' and OsborneTusting, San

. A Francisco, Calif.

Application May 1, 1935, Serial No. 19,279

. 3 Claims.

' Wise whichshould be filed away at points where access may be hadthereto conveniently and quickly.

(It is an object of the inventionto provide a cabinet which: can holdalarge number. of different kinds of forms in a comparatively smallspace, each group or pileof forms being supported in an inclinedpositionysothat the sheets comprising the groupwill be maintained bygravity in one extreme position where one end will be neatly stacked orpiled and at the same time visibleso as to be readily .identified.

A further object is to provide the cabinet with a series of superposedshelves of simple construction ,having. means for, holding them normallyretracted but with their contents visible for identification purposes.

Afurther object is to provide a cabinet the trays of which can bequicklyyreleasedto allow a selected shelf to gravitate forwardly intoposition where a -.desired.number of sheets piled thereon ,caniaberemoved;

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the cabinet showing the trays inretracted positions.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section through a portion of thecabinet, a portion of one of the trays being shown in its projected ordelivering position.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55, Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66, Figure 4.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates acabinet housing which can be of any desired materials and of any sizeand proportions. In the present instance this housing comprises a, base2 having upstanding metal walls 3 closing the side and back andconnected by a top 4. The lower portion of the front is open as shown at5 and struck inwardly from the side walls of the housing are abutmentsor ears 5 arranged in parallel series which are inclined upwardly andrearwardly from points adjacent'to the opening 5, it being understoodthat the series of ears on the two opposed sides of the housing areoppositelydisposed and correspond with each other. Thus thecorresponding seriesof the two sides of the housing can sup port trays"I which, in the present instance, are made up of fiat sheets of metal.

Each of these sheets of metal hasa front retaining flange 8 the middleportion of which is cut away as at 9 while a recess Ill is extended intothe plate from the cut-away portion 9 for a 'short distance'so as toprovide a clearance fora finger used in removing one or more formssupported by the tray. r A tooth ll is struck downwardly from each tray.1 near its forward end'at one sideithereof and this tooth is so locatedthat when its tray is in retracted position as shown in Figures 1 and 2,said-tooth will be located back o-f-and engage one of the front ears 6so that the tray will thus-be prevented frorn'sliding forwardlyout ofthe position shown in said figures. Y

A stop flange I 2 is pressed downwardly from each side of each tray nearits back end and these flanges have their forward ends cut away toprovide stop teeth I 3. These teeth are normally spaced back from theuppermost ears 6 on which the tray is mounted.

In practice each of the trays in the cabinet can be loaded with a stackor group of forms which. will rest at their forward ends against thefront flange 8 on said tray and bridge the cut-away portion 9 and recess10. Before loading each tray is inserted back into the cabinet so as torest on its group of ears 6 and the tooth II will engage a front ear 6,holding the tray in the position illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

After all of the trays have been provided with forms, the contents canbe readily identified through the spaces between the front ends of thetrays and through the spaces provided at 9 where the flanges 8 are cutaway. When it is desired to remove a particular form its position can belocated readily by looking downwardly on the trays and the proper traycan then be lifted at its front end so that its tooth II will disengagefrom its adjacent ear or abutment 6, releasing the tray which willgravitate forwardly on its supporting ears until the stop teeth l3contact and engage the rearmost ears 15 supporting the tray as shown forexample in Figure 4. This will bring the tray to a stop in a projectedposition and the desired number of forms can be lifted therefrom.

Thereafter the tray can be thrust backwardly upon its supporting earsand the tooth l I will ride over the front ear 6 and finally drop intoits position back thereof thereby holding the tray against forwardsliding movement.

It will be noted that not only do the trays gravitate forward todelivering positions under their own weight and the weight of the loadthereon but the forms supported on the tray whether they be long orshort will also gravitate forwardly against flange 8 so that they areconstantly neatly held on the tray and in proper position to beidentified. 7

It is to be understood that the supporting means shown for the trays isonly one of many which may be provided and obviously means other thanthe teeth and stop flanges can be used for limiting the movement of thetray. The means shown is a simple form which can be employed and forthat reason has been portrayed as one of the preferred forms. 7

What is claimed is:

1. A cabinet including a housing, a tray therein for supporting materialloosely, means for supporting the tray at such an angle as to causeloose material thereon to gravitatetoward one end of the tray and tocause the tray to gravitate relative to the housing, means on the trayfor limiting the gravitation of the material thereon, limiting meansprojecting from the tray and cooperating with one of said supportingmeans for holding the tray against gravitation while in full extendedposition, and retaining means carried by and projecting from the trayand cooperating with one of said supporting means for holding the trayagainst gravitation while in full retracted position, said tray beingliftablev at its front end to disengage said retaining means from theengaged supporting means and release'the tray for gravitation untilstopped by the limiting means, said retaining means having an inclinedbottom edge for gliding over and reengaging said supporting means whenthe tray is moved back intorfull retracted position.

2. A cabinet including a housing, a tray therein for supporting materialloosely, means for supporting the tray at such an angle as to cause itto gravitate relative to the housing, limiting means projecting from thetray and cooperating with one of said supporting means for holding thetray against gravitation while in full extended position, said limitingmeans having a downwardly and forwardly extended edge movable under theengaged supporting means to hold the adjacent portion of the tray closeto said supporting means, retaining means projecting from the tray andcooperating with one of said supporting means for holding the trayagainst gravitation while fully retracted, said tray being liftable atits front end to lift the retaining means from the engaged supportingmeans and release the tray for gravitation to full, extended position,said retaining means having an inclined bottom edge for gliding oversaid supporting means when the tray is moved back into full retractedposition, thereby to reengage said supporting means and hold the tray infullvretracted position.

3. A cabinet including a housing, a tray therein forrsupporting'materialloosely, fixed means for supporting the tray at such an angle as tocause it to gravitate relative to the housing, said means. providingspaced abutments, limiting means on the tray and fixed relative theretofor stopping the gravitation of the tray by engagement with one of theabutments, retaining means fixed on the tray and projecting therefromfor normally engaging one of the abutments to hold the tray in fullretracted position and against gravitation, said tray being liftable atits front end to disengage the retaining means from the abutment topermit gravitation of the tray until stopped by DONALD J. MCKEAN.OSBORNE TUSTING.

